Month: July 2017

Dan Hartman – I Can Dream About You (Germany 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“I Can Dream About You” is a song performed by American singer Dan Hartman for the soundtrack album of the film Streets of Fire. Released in 1984 as a single from the soundtrack, and included on Hartman’s album I Can Dream About You, it reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song first appeared in Streets of Fire, where it was performed by the fictional group The Sorels. The real voice behind the version used in the film was Winston Ford, but Hartman’s version was the one used on the soundtrack album and released as a single. In a Songfacts interview with the film’s musical director, Kenny Vance, he recalled “The same guy that sings lead on that and “Countdown to Love,” a song that I wrote for the film, was a guy working at a Radio Shack (Winston Ford), and I think when you look at the film and The Sorels are singing it live in the movie, that was the version that was supposed to come out, and I recorded that version. But then when Dan Hartman heard it, I don’t know what happened next, but I know that he took that guy’s voice off and he put his own on, and he had a hit with it. Hollywood is a very slippery place.”

Originally, producer Jimmy Iovine had asked Hartman to write a song for a film he was working on. Hartman was told that the song was going to be sung by four black guys in a concert situation within the film, and Hartman ended up thinking about a demo he made of “I Can Dream About You.” Hartman then went through some legal maneuvering to get the benefit of his breakthrough. The use of the song in the film being performed by actors did not feature Hartman on vocals but a studio singer. After some contract negotiating, Hartman insisted he sing the song on the soundtrack, and that his version be released if a single were to be issued from the soundtrack album. Additionally, any music video had to feature his own voice using the song. These clauses helped Hartman become an “overnight sensation.” Both Hartman and Iovine worked on his 1984, same-titled solo album I Can Dream About You, following the song’s use in the film. The album would spawn two other Top 40 charting singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 – “We Are the Young” and “Second Nature”.

SIDE A:
I Can Dream About You (Jellybean Remix) 7:32
Engineer [Mix Engineer] – Michael Hutchinson
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez

SIDE B:
I Can Dream About You (Larry Levan Extended Remix) 5:57
Remix – Larry Levan

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 I Can Dream About You U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #7
1984 I Can Dream About You U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary #8
1984 I Can Dream About You U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles #60
1984 I Can Dream About You U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #6

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– 259 307-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Germany
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Jimmy Iovine
Producer, Written-By – Dan Hartman

NOTES:
Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Streets Of Fire”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp:
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube:
Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard:
ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning:
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans:
Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Human League – Human (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Human” is a song recorded by British synthpop band The Human League, and released as the first single from their 1986 album Crash. The track, which deals with the subject of infidelity, was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

In 1985, the recording sessions for the Human League’s fifth album were not going well, and the band did not like the results, which was causing internal conflict. Virgin Records executives, worried by the lack of progress from their at-the-time most profitable signing, suggested the band accept an offer to work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who already had material to work with; and had expressed an interest in the band from their U.S. releases. Jam and Lewis had recently emerged as in-demand talent due to their success with Janet Jackson and her Control album.

Of the ten songs on Crash, Jam and Lewis wrote three, “Human” being one of them. It is a mid-tempo ballad which lyrically is an exchange between a man and a woman in a relationship who have reunited after a separation. In the first two verses Philip Oakey is apologizing to his partner for being unfaithful during her absence, and in the song’s breakdown Joanne Catherall’s spoken-word confession reveals that she too was unfaithful. The song’s title is derived from the chorus, in which both parties in the relationship explain that they are “only human” and “born to make mistakes”. The song is a composition in common time with a tempo of 102 beats per minute. It is set in a key of A♭ major, with a chord progression from D♭-E♭-f.

“Human” became the second million-selling and final number-one single for The Human League on the US Billboard Hot 100 (after “Don’t You Want Me”) and their second chart-topper on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart (after “(Keep Feeling) Fascination”). Jam and Lewis’ R&B-based production was also popular on American urban radio, bringing the Human League into the top ten of the U.S. R&B chart for the first time. The song hit #1 in the US; however, in the UK, where R&B was less popular, “Human” peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart.

SIDE A:
Human (Extended Version) 5:06

SIDE B:
Human (A Cappella Version) 2:01
Human (Instrumental Version) 5:04

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1986 Human U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1
1986 Human U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles #3
1986 Human U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #1
1986 Human U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary #3

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records – SP-12197
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Executive-producer – John McClain
Producer – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
Written-By – J. Harris III-T. Lewis*

NOTES:
Produced for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc.
Original version appears on the LP “CRASH”

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp:
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube:
Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard:
ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning:
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans:
Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Johnny Hates Jazz – I Don’t Want To Be A Hero (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“I Don’t Want to be a Hero” is a 1987 song by the British band Johnny Hates Jazz. It reached #11 in the UK top 40 in August 1987 spending 10 weeks on the chart. It is taken from their #1 album Turn Back the Clock.

The song was written by the band’s lead singer and main songwriter, Clark Datchler. It has a strong anti-war sentiment and is written from the perspective of a soldier who is questioning their participation in what they consider an unjust war. The band’s American record company were reluctant to release the single in the U.S. because of its anti-war stance. The song makes references to conscription and propaganda.

The single was the band’s second top 40 hit in the U.S. peaking at #31 in August 1988.

“I Don’t Want To Be A Hero” also features backing vocals by English singer Kim Wilde.

The b-side “The Cage” is an instrumental non-album track.

SIDE A:
I Don’t Want To Be A Hero (12″ Mix) 6:33

SIDE B:
The Cage 3:52
I Don’t Want To Be A Hero (7″ Version) 3:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1988 I Don’t Want To Be A Hero U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #31
1988 I Don’t Want To Be A Hero U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporay #15
1988 I Don’t Want To Be A Hero U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #19

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – VST 1000
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design [Sleeve] – Stylorouge
Photography By – Simon Fowler (2)
Producer – Calvin Hayes, Mike Nocito

NOTES:
Also available the debut LP “TURN BACK THE CLOCK”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp:
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube:
Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard:
ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning:
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans:
Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

The Kane Gang – Motortown (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Motortown” is a 1987 single by pop trio from North East England Kane Gang. The single was taken from the bands second album Miracle. “Motortown” debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on December 19, 1987 spending sixteen weeks on the survey peaking at #36. In the U.K. “Motortown” reached #45.

The b-side “Spend” is a non-lp track.

SIDE A:
Motortown (Cruising Version) 6:45

SIDE B:
Motortown (7″ Mix) 4:20
Spend 5:01

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 Motortown U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #36
1988 Motortown U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary #12

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Capitol Records – V-15329
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Pete Wingfield, The Kane Gang

NOTES:
“MOTORTOWN” From the album “MIRACLE”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjaPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp:
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube:
Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard:
ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning:
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans:
Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi